Inked & Filthy: A Bad Boy MC Romance Boxed Set (5 page)

I had to say whatever I could to keep my father from calling the cops. I couldn't be the reason for Hawke going back to prison. Getting him out of there as fast as possible was in his best interest. I agreed that we needed to talk further. There was still feelings between us that I couldn't conceal. But now was not the time.

I slept for two days straight after the art show. I didn't want to deal with life at the moment. Sam kept calling me and I kept on ignoring her. I had sent Hawke a text message that we should talk but he never responded. I really hurt him at the art show. I could see it in those damaged eyes. He'd never want to speak to me again.

My mind was mush. I didn't know what to think anymore. I knew deep in the pit of my stomach that I still loved Hawke. I was never able to get over him while he was locked away. But I couldn't be with a criminal. Hawke said he was innocent but there were too many things I didn't know about his MC. The Blood Dogs were known around town for doing some unspeakable things. It wasn't so far-fetched that Hawke tried to kill a member of a rival MC.

If he was such a bad guy then why couldn't I get him out of my mind?

I finally got out of bed and bypassed the bathroom. I didn't even care what I looked like anymore. I went straight to the kitchen to cook some breakfast. It was nine at night but my empty stomach craved eggs and bacon.

I cracked two eggs over the sizzling pan and laid strips of bacon down on another. The aroma twisted my stomach into knots. It wouldn't be much longer until I could finally eat some solid food.

A knock at the door stopped me in my tracks. Was I imagining it? I could barely hear anything over the crackle of the cooking food. I listened hard and heard another knock. My heart jumped at the thought of Hawke being there.

I ignored the food and went to the front door. I looked in the mirror and almost vomited in my mouth. Enormous black bags hung underneath my eyes. My blonde hair was all in knots. Makeup also would've been a good choice. There was no time for it now.

I inhaled a deep breath and opened the door. Sam stood there in a dark blue dress with heels. She held a brown paper bag in one hand a small black bedazzled clutch in the other. Her face turned to horror at the sight of me. “Oh dear, you look terrible.” She rushed past me before I could even say anything. She sniffed the air. “Is something burning?”

“Oh shit!” I ran to the kitchen and found my eggs and bacon burnt to a crisp. My stomach grumbled. Cereal would have to do for now.

Sam set the brown paper bag down on the kitchen island. “I let you sulk about Hawke for a couple days but no more.” She pulled out a variety of alcohol from the bag: rum, vodka, tequila, and whiskey.

“Damn, Sam. Buy enough booze?”

She smiled and opened up the cupboard to grab some shot glasses. “Tonight called for an emergency.”

“You didn't have to do all this, Sam. I'm fine, really.”

Sam laughed as she poured the vodka into the shot glasses, spilling some onto the island. “Did you see how you look? You're definitely not fine.” She handed me a filled shot glass. “Now bottoms up.”

The vodka burned furiously on the way down. With no food in my stomach, I was going to feel it right away. And I wanted that.

“I'm sorry I've been dodging your texts and calls, Sam. I was so tired after the art show. I just needed some sleep.”

“You don't need to hide anything from me, Audrey. I know you still have feelings for Hawke.”

Sam could always see right through me. I guess that's what happens when you're friends for so long. “I don't know what to do, Sam. You're right, I still have feelings for him. But Hawke is a criminal and still apart of that MC.”

“He's bad news, Audrey. I always knew he was no good. But you never listened to me.”

“I know. But I can't get him out of my head. I never could. Four years and I couldn't forget him.”

Sam didn't wait to pour another shot—whiskey this time. “Down the hatch.”

Whiskey was my worst enemy. There were many times in college where Sam found me throwing up in the bathroom after just one shot. But tonight, whiskey and I were going to become the best of friends.

I could feel the buzz coming on already. “What should I do, Sam?”

“Don't look at me. When did I become the well of relationship wisdom?”

I tried to keep a straight face but couldn't hold it in any longer. The entire time I knew Sam, she had never been in a serious relationship. Mostly it was her fault. She just couldn't imagine sleeping with only one guy at a time. Sam had to try all thirty-one flavors. But maybe all it would take was the right guy?

“I never thought that Hawke would be back in my life.”

“Me neither. People don't usually get out of jail so quick from attempted murder.”

“I tried calling him so we could talk but he never responded.”

“Can you blame him after the scene at the art gallery?'

The image of Hawke's hurt face haunted my dreams. What else was I supposed to do? Let my father and Hawke fight it out in the back alley? I know I did the right thing but it still hurt.

“One more shot,” Sam announced.

I waved my hand at her. “I don't know if I can handle anymore. I haven't eaten anything in days.”

“That's an easy solution.” Sam went to the pantry and pulled out a granola bar. “Here ya go. Eat that on the way to the club.”

I took the granola bar from her. “Club? What club?”

“We're going out dancing tonight.”

“So that's why you're all dressed up.” I pointed to her dress.

“What? This little thing?” Sam spun around so I could check out how good her ass looked. “I always wear this thing around.”

“I don't know if I'm really ready to go clubbing tonight.”

“You will be after one more shot.” Sam winked and handed me a shot of tequila.

I reluctantly downed the alcohol. Dancing would at least keep my mind off Hawke.

“Okay let's go to a club. But what shall I wear?”

Sam got that glint in her eye when she knew that the night was going to be crazy.

“To your closet!”

We raced to my room and I almost tripped on a pile of dirty laundry. Sam opened my closet and began flinging dresses at me. “Too boring.” My favorite brown dress hit me in the face. “Too long.” Sam pulled out a rainbow-colored dress. “What's this?”

“I thought it looked fun.”

“You should burn it,” she said, throwing it across the room. “Now what do we have here?” Sam brought out a blue dress that was way too short for me.

“Doesn't fit me anymore.”

“Nonsense. This is the dress.” Sam put it against my body. “The boys are going to be drooling over you tonight.”

I ended up sleeping at the MC clubhouse two nights in a row. Didn't seem right to be home alone. My brothers helped me forget about Audrey by keeping me plenty liquored up. I was finally done with that woman. I'd spent too many years of my life wasting energy thinking about her. There was plenty of pussy out there eager to get my dick wet.

I had joined the Blood Dogs MC when I was only sixteen. It was the only thing I ever wanted in life other than Audrey. I dropped out of school and became a prospect, cleaning up shit and piss every day. But it was all worth it to get that patch on my cut that said: Member.

The Blood Dogs were my family and I'd always be there for them.

I stumbled downstairs to the clubhouse weight room. The sun had barely risen but Juice was awake and on the bench press already. Juice was named for his over-sized muscles that were no doubt fueled by steroids.

“Little early to be working out?” I asked.

Juice set the bar of weights down and sat up, his shaved head shining from the light. “You shouldn't even be up, Hawke. The amount of shots you took last night should've sent you into a coma.”

“Couldn't sleep.” I walked around the bench press and spotted Juice. He groaned with every rep, his veins popping out of his forehead. “One more, Juice!”

Juice cursed as he pumped the bar up, his arms shaking uncontrollably. I took over the weight of the bar and set it down. I grabbed a white towel from a pile and threw it at him.

“Thanks,” he said, wiping the buckets of sweat from his forehead. “You get laid last night? There was some hot tail here.”

“Of course,” I lied. “Had two of 'em. Never been sucked off so good in my entire life.” I couldn't let him know what really happened with the one chick last night. I brought her up to my room and she was all ready for me, naked and begging me to fuck her hard. But I couldn't go through with it. I thought I was ready to move on from Audrey but something stopped me.

“Good for you, Hawke. I had myself a real hot redhead. The biggest tits you could imagine.” Juice spread his hands apart to visualize the size. “You can bet your ass I buried my cock in that cleavage until I came all over her.”

I didn't want to talk about other girls right now. “I'm going to go for a walk and clear my head. We have anything going on today?”

Juice shook his head, wrapping the white towel around his neck. “Prez told me we got the day off.”

“I'll have my cell on me. Call me if something comes up.”

As I walked out, Juice returned to the bench press. I could hear his groans as I left the clubhouse. The man was a workout fiend.

Pike stopped me at the exit, pressing his glasses to his nose. “How the fuck are you even alive after last night, Hawke?”

“Next time you want to kill me, try a gun instead of alcohol.” I punched Pike in the arm and he got me in a headlock for a moment before letting me go.

I walked down main street of Saint Marks. The air was cold and it was too early for any shops to be open. Except for Julie's donuts. The line was out the door—the only place in town that served reasonable coffee.

If I was so over Audrey, then why couldn't I get her out of my head? I thought about all those times she sat on the back of my bike as we rode around town. Her hands always held onto me so tight. Why couldn't we go back to that? Audrey must know that I was innocent. I'd never kill a man unless there was good reason to.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even realize that I was outside Audrey's apartment building. The four-story complex was one of the most expensive places to live in Saint Marks. Without Mr. Spencer's money, Audrey would never be able to afford something like this on her artist income.

I thought about going to her front door and knocking. What would I even say to her this early in the morning? I imagined her dressed in a tiny white shirt and only a pair of panties. I could kiss her and do away with all the words. They only got in the way. But in the end, I'd wake her up and make things a whole lot worse.

A black stretch limo pulled up and parked behind me. I turned around and the passenger door opened. Two large men—almost as big as Juice—stepped out of the limo wearing black suits and Ray-bans. I reached in the back of my waistband for my Browning 9mm.

“Mayor Peterson would like to speak with you,” one of the giants said.
What the fuck did the mayor want with me?
The bodyguard opened the door for me and motioned me inside.

I took my hand off the grip of my pistol and entered the limo. I didn't have much of a choice. The mayor sat at the far end on cushy leather seats. He was more bald than the last time I saw him on television, campaigning for the position, telling Saint Marks that he was the man for the job. His blue suit could barely contain all his fat.

“Take a seat, Mr. Ellis,” the mayor pointed at the seat next to him. “Would you like a drink?”

The thought of alcohol made my stomach turn.
Why did Pike make me drink so much last night?
I politely declined and took my seat next to the mayor.

“I bet you're wondering why I'm here.”

“The thought had crossed my mind.”

The mayor leaned forward. The scent of his cologne smelled like wet dogs. “Well I want to cut through all the bullshit and get right to it. You weren't released from prison due to overcrowding. I was the one that got you out.”

My head flipped upside down. “Why would you do that?”

The mayor poured himself a glass of vodka and took some ice cubes out of a bucket and dropped them into the drink. “Sure you don't want one?” I shook my head.
How could he be drinking this early? “
I need someone of your talents,” he continued. “Someone that could do a job for me. And you're perfect for this, Hawke Ellis.”

The question of why me kept running through my mind. “What's the job?”

The mayor took a sip of vodka. “During my campaign for Mayor, Spencer Enterprises donated a large sum of money that helped me win. At that time it was agreed that once I was elected, I'd help them out with any little problems they had. But now things have gotten out of hand. Mr. Spencer is siphoning as much money as he can out of my pockets and the city. He's threatening to get me removed from office if I don't comply.

“And what does this have to with me?”

The cubes in his glass clinked. “I want you to take down Mr. Spencer and his company.”

I laughed. “What makes you think I can do that. And why would I?”

“For starters, you're close to his daughter. You can get access to documents that I can't.”

“I'm done with that family. Audrey doesn't want to speak to me anymore. I could care less what his father is doing to you.”

“How about for revenge?”

“Revenge? What the fuck are you talking about?”

The mayor grinned. “Weren't you a little suspicious of the circumstances surrounding your arrest for attempted murder?”

I nodded. “The sheriff wanted to put me away. Threatened to go after Audrey if I didn't confess.”

“But the sheriff was just a pawn. It was Mr. Spencer who wanted you gone. Out of his daughter's life for good. And I set it up for him as part of our deal.”

My hands burst out and wrapped around the mayor's neck, fingers squeezing harder and harder. I could kill him within seconds before his bodyguards could even react. But he wasn't the man behind it all. Audrey's father was the entire time. I loosened my grip on the mayor. He coughed, taking a drink from his glass, and straightening his solid blue tie.

Everything finally clicked and made sense. Mr. Spencer always hated me and wanted me gone. Putting me in prison was the easiest solution. All it would take was money and power—Mr. Spencer had both.

My hand clenched into fists. I could kill him right now.

Mayor Peterson poured me a glass of whiskey and handed it to me. I took it and gulped it down without a second thought. My body was rigid and I needed the alcohol to relax me.

“And what if I don't do this job for you?” I asked.

“I can put you back in prison, just as fast as I got you out.”

I was cornered. A Blood Dog lashed out when he got cornered. But what could I do? I'd die before going back to prison. And Mr. Spencer deserved revenge for what he did to me. The years Audrey and I could've spent together were taken away.

“I'll do it, Mayor.”

“Wonderful!” He clinked his glass against mine. “I'm glad we could come to an agreement.”

I drank the last of the whiskey and left the limo. I thought the only thing I had to worry about was getting Audrey back. But now life had gotten more complicated.